The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 4

Stolces Scryst. v' 4. A Very I portant Person The Nashville Tcnnessean Published by 1 TENNESSEAN NEWSPAPERS, INC, SILUHAN EVANS Preeident and Publisher COLEMAN A. HARWELL Vice-President tad Editor 7 Wedded to Obstruction Beforq reconvening of Congress, the Republican party bad some eicuse for claiming' that a distinction could be drawn between reactionary leader in the national legislative body and the sterling crusader who is its candidate for President. JOHN a NYE assocuu editor Poll Tax Repeal Picked ByGOPv As Best lead South' Filibuster Witt Aim of Entire Civil Rights Bill By Thomas stokes WASHINGTON Once again we have the somewhat nauseous spectacle Of a filibuster by- a handful of Southern senators to prevent action on a measure to) lift one of the restrictions in the South on the right to vote, a basic right In our democracy.

In bringing forward the bill to repeal the poll tax aa a voting for federal officials, the Republican senate leadership has selected the least controversial of the measurea embraced In the civil rights pro- Governor Dewey, that time, had pointedly kept himself aloof from what was' going on in Washington. As governor of a great he could say that his own job kept him too busy for. other affairs. What the majority group had dons 1 in Congress was beyond Jiis. cortirpLH was looking to the future.

Well, the future began for this aspiring man at the moment he accepted the nomination in Philadelphia. Ha then became the) leader of his party and he had a responsibility to broaden his range of action and vision. In the platform upon which he stands there is out formula for "curing everything, Including the evil of inflation at home and the troubles or the world in eral No longer can he disassociate himself Published Every Morning and Sunday at Eleventh and- Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee. Entered at the Post Offiee at Nashville, Ten-nessee, as second-class mail matter. eTha mows columns thai! be lair aad aecu-rate; the editorial column shall be honest tad Just in the expression ot eonscientious opinion.

Pago 4 Sat. Morning, July 31, 1978 The Tcnnessean Firsts FOR THE EX-SERVICEMEN: A job for every one; aids to establishment in homes and business; educational opportunity, protection of FOR OUR REGION: 7 Inclusion of the Cumberland In the TVA program. FOR TENNESSEE: Kill too Poll Tax. 1.000.000 Voters. A Merit System in the Constitution.

Refill the phosphate cuts. FOR 'DAVIDSON COUNTY: Consolidation of County and City Health Services. A Metropolitan Community Hospital. Consolidation of County and City School Systems. FOR NASHVILLE: Smoke Abatement; Sewage Dieposal Plant A Municipal Auditorium.

from the Martins and the Tabers, even the Robert Tsfts. Strategists in Pawling have worked out a formula whereby the candidate will remain quiet and let the Republican majority in Congress take the rap for continuing ite obstruction. But it won't work. The do-nothing policy in a period of emergency, of becomes a national policy. Lacking atatementa to the contrary, can be accepted as the policy of Mr.

Dewey and his campaign manager, Mr." Brownell who haa set up headqaurters in the Capital for the dura srui iaey long nave endorsed and which now also carries the speclfla endorsement of President Truman and the general but unmistakable endorsement by th 1948 Democratic platform. Te Show Strength Developments will show to what extent the Republican leadership Is sincere pushing this bill forward at the outset of the special session and to what extent it ia a political maneuver to embarrass President Truman by revealing the split in his own party and thus retaliation far hla-call for a special session. It is obvious that this Issue enuld nmviH tion, as well as the stubborn members of the vwu.v...oUfc M.wat ade against some of the other- legislation that the President haa asked of the Republican Congress and that the Southern wing of the Democratic party could be charged with the blame. Teet le Come. NThe test of Republican sincerity will come In whether it makes a real effort, after a reasonable time of discussion for this much-discussed issues, to limit debate throusti cloture and trut mrttim 4 '0 That -requires a two-thirds vote.

Whatever Republican motives may be and doubtless they are mixed, politica being what It is the Southerners must bear the onus of tangling up senate procedure by a corruption of the rights and privilege of a legislative and of whatever ill effects accrue to other pending legislation from their obstruo five tactics. On Parade With our democracy on parade before the world today it is time to make at least this start affecting the fundamental right of a free ballot. This is not the only impediment on the ballot in the South, but it is one easily reached and removed. The need for abolition of the poll tax has been recognized among many Southerners for a long This Is attested not only by the fact that In recent years four Southern Senate snd House. Master minds have decided that the best way.

to prevent the Truman program from bringing relief to American homes is to launch a smoke screen. Democrats are given the opportunity to wrangle over one of the lesa important pointa of the civil rights program, and their acceptance ia assured. From the GOP angle, it should be profitable to ait back- and watch the fun. But will it be? No amount of smoke is going to obscure 'the fact that the people who have accused Mr. Truman of playing politica are convicting themselves on the same charge.

In the name of politics, there will be no serious effort to do any-' thing about meat at $1.25 pound. The idea of trying to control the soaring economic spiral is ruled out. There will be no relief for housing by quick passage of the Taft-EUender-Wag-ner bill. The fact that these things sre needed ic recognized in their platform, but for political reasons they will be withheld for six months or more. This is the policy of the Republican party which claims to have a constructive approach to the nation's needs.

This is the policy of men of narrow vision in Congress, -among whom on this occasion muat be included Senator Robert Taft, but it also becomes the program of those once-fearless fighters for the right, Governors Dewey and Warren. They do not speak but this very silence giver consent. It is not a brave course, gentlemen of the GOP, nor is it a wise one, eince it cancels off the charge of politics against President Tru- man. Few persons will deny that the goals set for the special aession were worthy, regardlese of what may have been the motive in calling1 the lawmakers together again. Republicans had an opportunity to win political prestige, if that ia their chief ambition, by constructive action.

But thia ait-down strike in the face of danger furniih.es proof that they have no heart to face again the swarm of lobbyists who havs decreed thst nothing must be done to control events which endanger the public but are quite satisfactory to powerful private interests. The party of obstruction is smug today. But what will be its attitude in November as a re Thomu In Detroit News. Letters to The Nashville Tennessean Dictator Fights, Claws Into Thin Air, Writer Says A PUBLIC FORUM The Nashville Tennessean is always glad to receive letters from Its readers giving their viewe or questions of the day. When requested, only initials or a nom de plume will be printed.

However, the identity and address of the sender must always be known to the Editor. Because Forum space Is limited, letters must be edited and often cannot be printed in full, though every effort will be made to preserve the idea in each letter used. No manuscripts will be returned. Each day an award of One Dollar will be made for the communication deemed best by the Editor. That letter will be designated by three stars.

CRwernor, Your Plank's Missing Under the drumfire of Chancellor Browning's frontal attacks, Governor Jim McCofd is in the unhappy position of a man trying to keep an even balance on a platform that is rapidly disintegrating. As fast as one plank was blasted away, the Crump candidate has shifted to another. As a last resort, he hoped, he would be spared the one labeled "sales tax." But now it, too, has disappeared in a cloud of splinters. The Huntingdon war veteran, who spent yesterday in the friendly atmosphere of Nashville and Davidson county, ia not one to be taken in by myths auch aa the one, assiduously cultivated, that his opponent was responsible for the plan whereby cities and countiea were able to ahare In proceeds of the sales tax. Although the journals of the 1947 legislature are being withheld from publication, he knew what they would prove that it was never the state administration's purpose to share a penny of the tax with any other agency of government and that the eventual concessions to that were forced by the adamant rural bloc in the legislature.

Iw confirmation of the fact that Governor McCord haa been guilty of mierepreeentation, Chancellor Browning haa the convincing statement of State Senator James H. Cummings who led the successful fight against the Crump-McCord effort to avoid sharing any part of this new-found wealth. The. governor's original plan, aa Senator Cum- ming reminds, was to keep all salee tax publicly estimated at $20,000,000, under State control. No provision was made for letting others benefit from collections over that amount, and Governor MfcCord insisted that the bill be passed as drawn.

With wisdom which did them credit, the rural members demanded time before a final vote in order that better estlmatea could be made as to how much revenue the tax actually bring in. They were not greatly surprised to learn that the 2 per cent yield might be between $30,000,000 and $35,000,000, instead of. the sum estimated by the governor and declared to be all he needed. Their eyes having been opened, these representatives took a firm stand for an adequate share of the proceeds and, in the long run won their point, but only over heated objections in a governor's office conference in which Shelby county was well represented. "I was told." recalls Senator Cummings, "that it my amendment was adopted the governor might veto it.

That was when I began to sus-pect thai tie $20O0fiOO was not all the reve--. nues expected by the administration. TAey eer-; tainly did not want to ahare any overage with the countiea and the cities Except for the tight made by the rural counties, the state would have held on to every penny collected." Senator Cummings testifies further that. Willie Gerber, Crump's chief political lieutenant, was Constantly on the floojf of the legislature Tight-" ing against changes in the bill. was the gov-' ernor's spokesman, Frank Hobbs.

In the light of these exposures, it remains to bs seen if Governor McCord will have the temerity to repeat ia other speeches his bland claim that the cities and counties owe him a debt of gratitude for coming to their financial aid in a i spirit of love and affection. Regardless of the legislative journals' -aup--7 pression, the fscts are too plain to be' cOhtfo-verted with any hope of success. your editorial writsr does not mean that Tennessee's constitution was concocted In ancient Greece or. Rome. In fact, I doubt whether' Marcus Tulllus Cicero of ancient Rome, or Aristldes, the ancient Greek statesman, would have recognized the Tennessee constitution if placed before them.

Their education just had not progressed far enough there was no sales tax in their day to pay any public school teachers. DAVID H. HEPBURN. Nashville. KNOW THE TRUTH To the Editor: Boss Crump, your story of Mr.

Browning which smeared hie life To the Editor: Hearken, behold, a voice has spoken. Full page ads. of jriliftr cation in Tennessee newspapers bear witness of bis remarks. Mighty are his words. He is fighting and clawing into tltfn air.

He faithfully fulfills his dictator's role. Propaganda is ell he knows. His grip on Tennessee Is broken. Like the dictators of old he is "tooting his last His only weapon is deceit and contradiction is his mainstay. His vitrolic attack upon Browning's character and record chows he Is fast slipping.

Say what he may, Browning will fly to victory leaving behind Ceump-Gerber and McCord to rest in their field of crow's nest, broken promises, unfulfilled pledges, lost records, and hot tar. I CLAUDE T. GRAVES. Lewisburg, Tenn. states havs abolished the poll tax, but also by the active campaigns against this and other The auocesa of this campaign by earnest South- enters is manifest in a general increase In voting by Negroeev in- the South since 1940, aa Is shown by an analysis by Luther P.

Jackson, professor ot history at State College, i made for the Southern regional council. Court Caeee This activity has Included the bringing of court cases which resulted in the supreme court's outlawry of the "white another voting restriction; the subsequent campaigns against various subterfuges to maintain the "white primary," and campaigns against registration prac- tices by which Negroes are kept from voting, Which Is now perhaps the most serious and effective form of disfranchisement The filibuster is stark evidence of one fact often commented up- on here, which is the backwardness of many members of Congress from ths South as contrasted with the forward look of many people in, the South who are working for changes and who are misrepresented by leader who stalk up and down the sen-ate chamber In their cheap and nessee will be on hand to east a ballot for the man of their choice. And may we hope that the man they vote for will not be wearing the stamp of approval put upon him by Ed Crump and Will Gerber. H. E.

W. necessities of life, so If you are deprived of groceries and drugs, you could refrain and pay the aales tax on almost $70,000,000 worth of groceries and drugs and perhaps be as well off, or be temperate and split the difference and get $35,000,000 worth ot the. necessities of life. Notice did not mention cosmetics. PRENTICE A.

PUGH. 1 Nashville. x(Editor's Note: Not subject to Sales Tax) TOO MODERN To the Editor: One of your book reviewers usee the phrsae: "to the exoteric reader this la rather over-dramatic." According to the in my dictionary the. "ex- oteric" reader would be "external; public; easily comprehended." Just why it should be necessary to apply such description to any reader is not very easily comprehended. When I turn to your editorial page I do not find your editorials cluttered with words of this type.

The closest approach Is the use of the word archaic, which you use to describe Tsnnessee's Constitution. Archaio la antiquated. Antiquated is to be made antique. Antique means belonging to antiquity especially to ancient Greece or Rome. Now ot course 'a and career la just a big aid in ruining you as dictator of Tennessee.

OTou preached your own funeral so now why not begin digging your grave and be sure it is very deep so you won't smell too badly. Some of the old-timers and your old henchmen may believe your story, but don't think ydu'rs fooling the younger generation. We fellows who fought In World War know your type. We may have been too young to know very little about Mr. Browning's first administration aa governor, but nojaleaJtM.was imposed upon the people for sure.

You say Mr. Browning praised you for supporting him during his first campaign. He didn't know you then and we should give credit to a man who doesn't want your type of support the second time. Furthermore he doesn't need it. You shouIdnTT be quoting the Bible, Mr.

Crump. If so, the verse, John 8:32, should be made to read: "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall ssek you out," Mr. Crump. BASIL R. FLETCHER.

Oteen, N. O. WOULD THIS HELP US? To the Editor: A precedent-making system of "cradle-to-the-grave" social security, the broadest of Its kind In any large democratic nation, got under way recently In Great Britain under a Labor government Perhaps most, unique feature of the system la the National Health Act, which provides free medical and dental care for all Brltions, from factory workers to dukes. It is financed in part by payroll taxes and partly by government contributions. Under it, as the press associations reported, residents of Britain can "stop" worrying abtJut their doctors' bills." They have shoddy filibuster performance.

Georgia, is th latest state in. abolish the poll tax. Other which have done away with it is recent, years are North Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. But there are atlll seven states where a citisen has to pay a. tax Tor the privilege of voting, itself un-American and 1 1 am r.H A 1 a A Ir-w.

Nashville. TIMES MUST, BE HARD To the Editor: We have an over plenty of office-seekers' now days. Ws are-glad that our government is a free government and all people can run for office who wish to run, regardless of their ability to fill the office. I am glad that have Just enough sense not to try It Times must he 'getting to be mighty hard to make ends meet. J.

J. KING. Nunnelly, Tenn. A WAY TO SAVE SALES TAX To the Editor: May I venture to make one con-ment that might help those who- are opposed to the Sale Tax, i.e., during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1948 the state alone received' the following amount from taxes: Alcohol, beer, Cigarettes, total, $13,843,385.01 (x) The above are really not the sas, Mississippi, South Carolina, sult of discreditable One Point Settled The return of Congress to session has already paid one dividend for which the young men of the nation and their families can be gratefuL The senate committee on the armed services haa decided after hearing testimony that Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey is right in his determination to draft 25-year-olds first snd work on down towards the 19-year-olds.

Previously the committee, particularly Chair-. man Guraey, had been of the opinion that the J. lhole thing should be decided, by lottery. The National Security Resources Board, on the other hand, had been strongly in favor of drafting the youngest first, since they would least disrupt the nation's economy and manpower supply. The committee, however, heeded' General Hershey's arguments that the 25-year-olds should bl combed for possible recruits before they graduate out of the draft pool by virtue of age and that in any event only about 7,000 of the more' than 1,000,000 in this sgs class would be taken because, of liberal deferments.

The aemy was not displessed at General-. Hershey's ruling, since it hss need for more ma- Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Things have retrogressed ao far that if you stick a pin Into a map of Washington, 'you can hardly avoid stabbing a military; man or an alumnus de voted alumnus of Wall Street. A. Wallsoc.

little or nothing to pay directly. Hospital service will be provided free. Doctors and dentists participating In the system and most are 85 per cent of the British physicians about half the dentists will collect their fee from the government. Spectacles, hearing aids, artificial limbs and other surgical de Ude Glances By GafbraifA v. Gallup Soyst Row In Democratic Party Brings Interest In Platform ture men.

r- vices will be "free for the asking." Druggists who fill prescriptions will send their bills to the state. Under the program, John Bull has also taken over ownership of 3,500 hospitals and clinics practically all in the nation, except for about 200 'run by religious orders. The rich will no longer have the first crack at the best hospital accommodations. That will go to those who are sickest. But those just moderately 111 may, by pay-.

ing get special aecom-V. modations if they are available! Britain ia shy of adequate hospital facilities and these are expected to be swamped for some time to come. Would this kind of a system benefit poor Americans? The dividend paid by reaching a decision in this mattsr so sarly ia that the young men know where they stand. They can take jobs with more certainty and also have a batter chance 'of bring, -hired by concerns which might not desire their cervices if they are soon to march off in uniform. The early knowledge of the master plan will make for more confidence all around and a minimum disruption of private lives and our economy.

Cheap Political Fakery The strength of Estes Kefsuver, who. comes to Nashvills today in the interest of his candidacy for the eenstorial nomination, ia best demonstrsted by the tsctics of his political enemies. Nothing but desperation could have prompted the attempt of a machine-affiliated Chattanooga -newspaper to give the impression thst Mr. Ke-fauver etands for anything that could be indorsed by the Communist-dominated third The candidate haa lost no time in denouncing this palpable frame-up and fraud, even though 1T" was "not "do so where "thinking people are concerned. The alleged indorsement of a Chattanoogsn -who ia said to be a committee woman for the Wallace "Progressive" group is' so clearly a bit of skulduggsry that It will react against those who concocted it rather than against the man it was designed to injure.

Everything for which Mr. Kefauvtr hss fought ss a member of Congress to strsngthen and safeguard America, at home and in ite relation to world problems, ia Tinder-open attack bf the Wallace group. No" Wallacelte, In sincerity, could support the Esst Nashville. By GEORGE GALLUP Director, American Institute of Public Opinion PRINCETON, N. J.

One effect of the fight within the Democratic party over Presldsnt Tru- man's program has been to stimulate public Interest in what the Democratic party platform haa to eay about controversial Issues. A survey -among voter find that a higher proportion took the trouble to read all or some Of the Democratic platform than was the "case wrtr-th Republican-platform although neither document got, very widespread reading. About four out of every 10 voters eay they hav read all or part, of the Democratic platform, as compared to fewer than three in ten who read th Republican document To test public Interest In the Democratic platform th Institute put th following question to a cross-section of voter in all parte of the oountrys "Did you happen to read the Democratic party platform drawn up at their convention In Phlla- LET'S HOPE To the Editor: As election day draws nearer, th political campaigns of the various candidate wax hotter and hotter. Lefs hop 'that when election day comes, all voter of Ten- Those voters who said they had paid eome attention to the Democratic platform were then asked a series of questions concerning Its contents, such as "Will you telf me what the platform say about civil rights? About Housing? About prices?" The results show that nearly two out of three pereona who had read the platform remembered the major Ideaa In the civil rights plank, which promises to work toward ending all racial or religious discrimination and pledges abolition of poll taxee, antl-lynch-tng legislation and other civil rights reforms. Th planks on housing and on 8 rices got somswhat leea attan-ion, with nearly half unable to remember what th platform eald about housing.

It seem clear from these result that presidential cam pal rn Slatforms get comparatively title attention from the mas of jesters.1 But the content of a platform may have a highly significant bearing on the behavior of special Interests or minority groups, as theenU-Truuian revolt In the South which stems largely from the Presidents stand on civil rights. Had the Democratic platform been leea forthright on civil rights, eome political observers think that th rump convention of Southern Democrat who nominated their own ticket might not hav taken plao. Mr. Howell E. Warner Sr In the death of Mr.

Howell E. Warner Nashville haa lost a good citisen 'and substantial businessman. He had served as a partner in the meat packing firm of Alex Warner and Son, and also organised the Power Packing Company, of which he waa vice-president Th civic life of the community owes much to his efforts. Hs waa a man of many friends, adhering to th Hi-Nabor- highest standards in every walk of life, and hi Sr OIU MUlw It Is safe to ny that- -elphla7'! A similar poll on the Republi can platform was reported early this month. A percentage comparison follows: passing is a matter of general regret.

Quip Missed The only people dissppolnted that Senator Richard Russell of Georgia was not nominated by the Dixiecrats for Presldsnt ar those who wanted th voters of ths country next November to hav cholc between Tom, Dick and Harry, another tough thing about 11f Is that a feller has to work tilt way through it Rap. 7-Jl Dem. Plet- none of them does. Perhaps it is too muoh to expect that cheap canards of this kind will not originate in certain type of minds, but reputable newspapers are not called upon to give them circulation, and it is to the credit of moat of them that they did not do ao, in recognition of this fact term Platform to go place your th tim you'r ready for anothr Yea, allot it 1 Yea, only part of It ....83 "Can't we borrow enough We eould hav It paid back by vacation!" vOitaSse see Tlie vc-ie ItlnxS .81.